User Plane Integrity Protection Under UE Data Rate Limits

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current wireless communication technologies, particularly in LTE and NR systems, lack effective mechanisms for managing integrity protection failures and data rate thresholds in user equipment, especially in dual-connectivity scenarios, leading to computational overload and inadequate handling of integrity protection failures.

Innovation Solution

Implement methods for detecting and managing integrity protection failures through network nodes, including user equipment, radio access networks, and core networks, using signaling techniques to transmit failure messages and adjust data radio bearers, quality of service flows, and packet data unit sessions to mitigate integrity protection failures and data rate thresholds.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If integrity protection is applied to user plane data, then data security is improved, but processing overhead and latency increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata securityVSAvoidprocessing latency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The network node determines the user equipment's integrity protection capability in advance before data transmission. This preliminary assessment allows the system to pre-configure appropriate integrity protection algorithms and parameters, avoiding real-time computation delays when actual data protection is needed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts integrity protection parameters including algorithm selection, data rate thresholds, and capability levels based on the determined UE capability. By changing these parameters according to pre-assessed capabilities, the system optimizes the balance between security and processing efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Productivity

If high data rates are provided for integrity protection enabled data, then throughput is improved, but user equipment capability limitations cause processing failures

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata throughputVSAvoidprocessing reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically determines and adapts to the UE's integrity protection capability, adjusting data rate allocations and protection levels in real-time based on the determined capability threshold. This dynamic adaptation ensures throughput is maximized within the reliable processing capacity of the UE.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The network node receives capability information from the UE and uses this feedback to determine appropriate integrity protection parameters. The system continuously monitors and adjusts data rates and protection levels based on this feedback loop, preventing overload while maintaining high throughput where capability permits.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Device complexity

If integrity protection capability information is not reported by user equipment, then device complexity is reduced, but the network cannot determine appropriate protection parameters

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveUE reporting complexityVSAvoidnetwork configuration ease
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The capability information serves multiple functions: it determines integrity protection algorithms, sets data rate thresholds, and configures overall security parameters. By making this single piece of information multi-functional, the system reduces the need for multiple separate reporting mechanisms while enabling comprehensive network configuration.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The UE autonomously determines and reports its own integrity protection capability without requiring complex network-side assessment procedures. This self-service approach simplifies the overall system by eliminating the need for elaborate capability discovery protocols while still providing the network with necessary configuration information.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP4242898B1Techniques to manage integrity protection
Publication Date: 2026.05.13 ZTE CORP
  • EP4242898B1 patent drawingFigure 1A~1B
  • EP4242898B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP4242898B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

Wireless communication methods are described for a user plane integrity protection failure detection and handling, determination and management of integrity protection enabled data rate that exceeds or is close to exceeding a user equipment's capability or threshold, and management of integrity protection or encryption mechanisms in a dual-connectivity system that includes a master network node and a secondary network node.